5 Essential Steps to Trademark Your Business Name

When you trademark your business name, you are protecting your brand. Your name and your logo are what identify your product, and protecting them helps to ensure that other people are not able to sell their products with your name or logo on them. This is important because other products may be of lower quality, and it can actually hurt your brand. Trademarking your business name isn’t very difficult, and you just need to follow these five steps.

1. Choose Your Brand Name

When you choose your name, you need to make sure that it is unique and that it isn’t similar to the name of another well-known brand. You want to stay away from literal names that describe the product and focus on a unique name that will clearly identify your product. For example, companies such as Coca-Cola or Pepsi are unique names that people recognize and associate with their products.

2. Perform a Trademark Search on Your Name

If you want your trademark name to be approved, you need to make sure that you perform a trademark search to make sure that it isn’t already in use. In addition, you cannot use a name that is similar to another brand. Even if your name is spelled differently or simply sounds like a registered trademark, your application will probably be rejected.

3. File Your Trademark Application with the USPTO

Once you are certain that your name is unique, you can file your application with the USPTO. They will want to know information such as the name of the owner, the date of your first use of the name in commerce, and a legal description of the products that will fall under the trademark. You will also provide your address or the address of your trademark attorney if you hire one.

It is important to make sure that you fill out the application accurately, or it could be rejected. You should monitor your application status to make sure you are on top of any deadlines or requests for information.

4. USPTO Reviews Application

Once the USPTO has decided that you meet the minimum filing requirements, they will assign it a number and forward it to an examining attorney. This attorney will review your file and decide whether or not your trademark should be registered. He or she may ask for additional information, so it is important to pay attention during this time.

5. You Will Receive Approval or Rejection of Your Trademark

If your examining attorney has no objections to your trademark, it will be approved for publication. The USPTO will publish it. It will be retroactive to the date you first used the trademark. They will issue a registration certificate to you.

Final Words

Registering your trademark is an important step in protecting your brand name and logo. You can go through this process on your own, or you can use a trademark attorney. The process can take some time, but if you are approved, it will be retroactive to your first use date.